Etymology

Beorn is an Old English word meaning "a warrior, a hero, a man of valour", cognate to Old Norsebjörn ("bear").[7][8] In the Scandinavian-speaking countries Björn/Bjørn is a personal name, attested since the 11th century.[9]

Other versions of the Legendarium

In early manuscripts of The Hobbit, the name of the character that would become Beorn is Medwed. Medwed's ability to change shape to a bear was due to an enchantment, perhaps of his own.[10]

Inspiration

It has been suggested that the character Beorn was influenced by the Norse Saga of Hrólfr Kraki.[12] In the saga appears a great bear defending Hrólfr Kraki, and also a man cursed to being transformed into a bear during nighttime. The work was well-known to J.R.R. Tolkien, as one of his students and friend, Stella Miller, made a translation of the saga dedicated to Tolkien, E.V. Gordon and C.T. Onions;[7] but even more importantly as Tolkien himself wrote an unpublished short story of the tale, entitled Sellic Spell.[13]

Another suggested inspiration is the character of Beowulf, "whose name is commonly explained as Beowulf = 'bees' wolf' = honey-eater = bear, and one who breaks swords, rips off arms and cracks ribs with ursine power and clumsiness."[12]